2012 MacConnell Award Symposium

Embrace Change!

A James D. MacConnell Award Symposium

Join us on
September 28, 2012
8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Think you have heard the whole story surrounding the Marysville Getchell High School Campus? Think again. This isn't just a story of how a school district built a new school, it's a story of how they're rebuilding a school district. Come to the Association for Learning Environments September 28 all-day symposium and hear from Marysville School District administrators, educators, students and consultants how they are transforming high school education on this campus and in their town.

Location:
Marysville Getchell High School Campus
8301 84th Street NE
Marysville, Washington 98270

Marysville Getchell High School Campus, the 2011 James D. MacConnell winner, is a prime example of one of the most incredible turnarounds in educational history. After a state-record 49-day teacher strike, low graduation rates, and school overcrowding after years of bond failures, the Marysville School District rallied under the leadership of a new superintendent. With a focus on transforming student learning, the board adopted five Guiding Principles that served as benchmarks for both education and the environments that support them. The result is an innovative awarding-winning campus and, five years later, a 27% increase in graduation rates.

"From visioning to strategic planning to educational facility planning, Marysville Getchell Campus embraced a very comprehensive approach that resulted in a wonderful facility that is a true reflection of the blend of community aspirations with 21st century learning environments. Not only did this planning process positively impact the success of this design, it was the impetus for change across the entire school district," remarked David Edwards, Chairman, Association for Learning Environments.

So how did they successfully implement change in their district? Come to the symposium and find out.

Photography Credit: DLR Group

Sponsors

Program at a Glance

Friday, September 28, 2012
8:00 am – 8:30 am	Welcome/Introductions – Kelley Tanner
8:30 am – 9:00 am	Interactive Session – How Do We Embrace Change? Kelley Tanner, BrainSpaces PK12Forum
9:00 am – 10:30 am	The Vision of Marysville Getchell High School Campus Dr. Larry Nyland, Superintendent, Marysville School District John Bingham, Director of Capital Projects, Marysville School District Victoria Bergsagel, Educational Strategist, Architects of Achievement Craig Mason, Principal in Charge & Designer, DLR Group Amy Yurko, Educational Planner, BrainSpaces Marysville School District had a vision for the future of their high schools, and after engaging students, parents, teachers, community, board members, civic, faith and Native American tribal leaders, the District adopted 5 Guiding Principles – Relationships at the Center, Focused Learning, Identity and Purpose, Community and Accountability
10:30 am – 11:30 am	A Day in the Life: The Student and Educator Perspective Shawn Stevenson, Principal, Academy of Construction and Engineering Angela Hansen, Principal, International School of Communications Dave Rose, Principal, School for the Entrepreneur Angela Delgado, Principal Bio-Med Academy Students from each of the 4 high schools What better way to understand the impact of school design than to hear from a small group of high school students and principals? For this session, students and principals from each of the 4 high schools (Bio-Med Academy, School for the Entrepreneur, Internal School of Communications, Academy of Construction and Engineering) located on the Marysville Getchell High School Campus will share their thoughts and perspectives of how this learning environment shapes their education and daily lives.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm	Lunch
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm	Seeing is Believing – Tour of Facility Student led tours supported by the school district and design team
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm	The Instruction / Construction Approach John Bingham, Director of Capital Projects, Marysville School District Tracy Suchan Toothaker, High School Planning Principal, Marysville School District When creating a new high school campus over a five-year process, how can a district ensure that the built environment meets their educational vision? Marysville School District had a unique approach – designate a team of one educator and one facilities director to facilitate and lead the design process. Together, Tracy Suchan Toothaker, the high school planning principal, and John Bingham, the director of capital projects, consulted and collaborated collectively with the planners, architects, consultants, contractor, and industry partners throughout the entire process. They were able to influence each decision with a balance of their educational goals with the complexities of design and construction.
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm	Break
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm	No Stone Unturned Dr. Larry Nyland, Superintendent, Marysville School District Ray Houser, Executive Director of Teaching & Learning, Marysville Getchell Campus Shawn Stevenson, Principal, Academy of Construction and Engineering The development of the Marysville School District Guiding Principles and the downsizing of the largest high school in the state of Washington, the District wanted to examine how they could transform high school education throughout the district. This reorganization included how the District converted to small learning communities and an re-evaluation of how they transported students, organized athletics, provided access to facilities and provided student services.
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm	Hearing from the Experts Dr. Larry Nyland, Superintendent, Marysville School District Shawn Stevenson, Principal at Academy of Construction and Engineering, Marysville School District Student(s) from one of the high schools on the Marysville Getchell High School Campus Craig Mason, Principal in Charge & Designer, DLR Group As a conclusion to the all-day symposium, a panel discussion will be held for attendees to ask any outstanding or unanswered questions about any topic – learning, design process, vision, construction, and operations – as it relates to the creation of the Marysville Getchell High School Campus.
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm	Reception

About the Association:
The Association for Learning Environments, formerly CEFPI, is the only professional organization whose principal purpose is improving the places where children learn. The Association embraces a diverse group of professionals with one single goal – building healthy, safe, high performance and sustainable learning environments that enhance student and teacher performance and support culture and community vitality.